Royals don’t disappoint on Kids Night

Blakely Griffi, a member of a Tavistock Titans U7 team, brought a homemade sign to the game to cheer on the Royals. Contributed photos

By Lee Griffi

Tavistock’s Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) team had a successful night on the ice and in the stands Saturday night.

The Royals downed the Milverton Four Wheel Drives 10-1 on the strength of a four-goal performance by Deven Kropf who also added an assist. Kropf is tied for third in league scoring with 20 points in 12 games.

“Dev has worked incredibly hard this season, both on and off the ice. His preparation, positioning and ability to read the play have always been outstanding,” said coach Tyson Zehr. “He has great chemistry with his linemates and finds ways to finish opportunities consistently. In recent seasons, we’ve often relied on his line in a shutdown role against opposing teams’ top players, which naturally limits his scoring opportunities. But when he has a breakout performance like on Saturday, it’s no surprise to the coaches or his teammates; we all know what he’s capable of.”

Zehr added he couldn’t remember the last time he saw a four-goal game by anyone in senior hockey.

“It’s been a while. Performances like that don’t happen every day. The league is in a good place and is highly competitive; it's so impressive and always exciting to see a player get into a rhythm and dominate like Dev did Saturday.”

Drew Gerth, Sean Leslie and Callan Christner each had three-point games while Trevor Sauder, Luke Fanjoy, Nicholas Thibodeau, Tristan Hohl and Jeremy Munro had two points apiece. Zach Shompe, in just his second game of the season, stopped 30 of 31 shots he faced for the win. The Royals led 3-1 after 20 minutes and 7-1 after two periods of play.

Tavistock didn’t pick up a single penalty during the game, something Zehr said is a huge positive.

”While we went into the game confident, it's always great to see a complete team performance. Keeping the penalty minutes low allows us to get into a rhythm and execute our style of play, and it was great to see the guys stick to that plan.”

The Royals have won two of their last three games. According to Zehr, finding consistency this season has been tough with a different lineup on the ice most nights.

“We’re happy with our progress, but there’s always room for improvement. It’s true we haven’t had our full lineup consistently, which is a challenge at this level with players balancing work, family and other commitments, especially at this time of year. The team has done a great job adapting and that depth speaks to the character of the group.”

The team’s annual Kids Night proved to be a success with the largest crowd of the season. Some happy children were not only able to hang out with Santa, but a few went home with prizes. Zehr said the organization always looks forward to the promotion.

“Kids Night is a highlight of the season for both the players and the community. The players love the energy in the rink and it’s a great opportunity for us to inspire the next generation of hockey fans and Royals players.”